Tens of thousands have returned to protest in Belgrade against violence in Serbia, a movement that grew out of two deadly shootings and turned into a challenge to the government.
Despite the heavy rain that fell in the Serbian capital, the protesters gathered near the parliament and then went to the headquarters of the national television (RTS), where they demanded the resignation of the leadership, accused of being a “spokesperson”. power. .
Under the slogan “Serbia against violence”, protesters have taken to the streets of Belgrade every week since the two murders that occurred in early May in the Balkan country, less than 48 hours apart.
The last time Serbs marched en masse was in 2000, during the protests that led to the ouster of Slobodan Milosevic.
On May 3, a 13-year-old boy killed nine classmates and a guard at a Belgrade school, and less than two days later, a young man murdered eight people in two villages near the capital.
Initially, the demonstration assumed the character of mourning for the victims, but the protest has turned into a challenge to the government of President Aleksandar Vucic.
The protesters are demanding the revocation of the licenses of pro-government television stations and are also demanding the resignation of the interior minister and the head of the secret services.
In response, Aleksandar Vucic organized a large rally of supporters in Belgrade on Friday, leading human rights defenders to say that some protesters had been pressured to participate in the event.
The head of state once again accused the opposition parties of having “tried to abuse the tragedy” for political purposes.
Source: Observadora
